Gifts for the Academic Desk Dweller

($30-40) A combo wireless keyboard and mouse make a great gift for any student or professor who primarily uses a laptop. With a simple USB receiver, the keyboard and mouse will work nearly 2 years on a single battery. Plus it’s great getting to use the perks of a full keyboard while at work.

($50-80) This best-selling desk lamp provides multiple levels of LED power, depending on the style of light needed for the work you’re doing. What’s cooler is that the lamp also has a USB port, so you can charge or operate something at the same time.

($15-20) Between e-mails, phone calls, and meetings, professors and graduate students have to make a lot of decisions. The “Decision Maker” is the paperweight equivalent of the academic magic 8 ball and while it may not yield the best results, at least you’ll have fun making decision competely arbitrarily. If you’re looking for paperweights, the Kikkerland 50 Year Calendar is also a fun one.

($50-60) The Furinno is a nice adjustable laptop desk. It converts into a great standing desk so a grad student or professor can get out of the chair and avoid some of the problems associated with sitting all day. It’s also much cheaper and more manageable than a full standing desk.

($15–20) The Miracle Cube is the coolest timer out there. It comes in different colors with different pre-set time settings on each face of the cube and you just turn it face up on the number of minutes you want and it starts the timer. This is a great way for the ultra-efficient to stay head-down and work for a block of time, but it’s best for someone with a personal office.